Boucher, Katrina Hannah

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY394527 Registered with Ofsted: 22/07/2009 Registers: EYR, CCR

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder's settling-in process is a real strength of her provision. She builds close, trusting and positive relationships with children and their families from the outset. She offers a highly bespoke, child-centred and carefully staggered approach to children starting at her setting, based on their individual needs and emotional readiness. As a result, all children settle rapidly, feel secure and develop confidence quickly. The childminder is exceptionally nurturing and responsive. She has warm, affectionate bonds with the children, who clearly enjoy spending time with her. She interacts with children sensitively and warmly, speaking to them at their level about emotions and supporting their emotional literacy and understanding through play.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children quickly become confident and independent learners. The childminder manages children's care needs effectively and consistently throughout the day. She has high expectations and encourages children to begin managing their own self-care skills from a very young age. Babies and toddlers routinely wash their hands prior to eating, promoting good hygiene habits. Each child is afforded dignity and privacy during nappy changes, and children are proactively supported in learning to use the toilet. During lunchtime, children are seated safely in age-appropriate high chairs and are supervised closely while eating. The childminder supports them sensitively with their lunch from home, helping children to enjoy this familiar routine. Children cooperate well, and mealtimes are calm, social and purposeful experiences.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates a strong awareness of issues that can affect children in her local area, including obesity and tooth decay. Consequently, she takes a proactive and preventative approach to promoting healthy lifestyles and good oral hygiene. For example, she provides parents with clear advice about nutrition and has shared guidance on what constitutes a healthy lunch box, alongside the importance of appropriate portion sizes. She has also offered parents practical advice on preparing food safely, including how to cut foods correctly to reduce choking risks. Families have engaged positively with this guidance, showing the childminder's strong partnership working and positive impact beyond the setting.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make secure and steady progress in their learning and development from their individual starting points. They achieve well because the childminder knows them well and plans purposeful activities that focus clearly on their next steps in learning. As a result, children build the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for future learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make positive progress in communication and language, which is a key focus of the curriculum. They benefit from the childminder's continuous interactions throughout the day, helping to develop their speaking, listening and understanding skills. Consequently, children grow in confidence as communicators and engage well in conversations.

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Achievement Expected standard

The childminder's approach to inclusion is beginning to address gaps in children's attainment. Children are supported according to their individual needs and are enabled to access learning opportunities that help them make progress. Therefore, all children are suitably well prepared to move on to the next stage.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are very settled, happy and relaxed. The childminder promotes being kind and the importance of playing well with others. She gently guides children, offers reminders and distracts them as required. If a child becomes upset, the other children are encouraged to bring them something they might like to play with and to help get a tissue to dry their tears. The childminder's approach helps children to develop empathy and respect for their peers. The childminder promotes and monitors children's attendance successfully and understands the importance of this in ensuring punctuality and promoting children's safety.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder provides a home-from-home environment with a broad range of accessible resources and activities. While there is scope for the childminder to further develop her teaching skills to increase children's positive attitudes, concentration and motivation for learning, all children develop confidence in attending. They quickly learn to play and explore independently. Children freely access resources, make their own play choices and soon develop games, not just alongside, but with, their peers. For example, babies and toddlers enjoy playing with role-play resources, such as baby dolls and prams. They pretend to feed the babies and extend this play to include each other as they involve their peers in their imaginative play.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides resources and activities that promote children's interests and build on her current theme, such as learning about animals. For example, children enjoy opportunities to count and sort pretend animals by type, colour and size. Children have plenty of opportunities to self-select resources and choose what they want to do. For example, they enjoy mark making with water pens on a mat. The childminder encourages them to take turns and share the resources available. The childminder also takes children out into the local community to toddler groups, parks and soft-play venues. These experiences help to broaden and strengthen their physical skills, confidence and social development. She also incorporates themed sessions linked to children's home lives, as well as learning about other cultures and festivals, helping children to develop their understanding of their community and the wider world.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder offers children carefully planned adult-led activities and routine whole-group sessions, such as singing time, with a clear focus on developing communication and language skills. For example, children name and label pretend farm animals in the tough plastic tray. The childminder introduces new vocabulary and provides opportunities for children to use imaginative and descriptive language as they play. Overall, the childminder's curriculum is typically well taught. However, on occasion, she does not make the most of interactions with all children equally throughout the session to maximise opportunities for them to excel. Therefore, there is scope for her to consider further ways to enhance the quality of her teaching to a higher level.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is inclusive and welcoming. She accurately identifies and assesses children's learning needs. The childminder typically offers children targeted support, where required, through an embedded approach of plan, do and review. She works closely with parents and professionals and makes some reasonable adjustments to her practice to accommodate and support children's individual needs. However, there is room for the childminder to further consider way to strengthen her practice in this area in order to make a more demonstrable difference to the lives of children who may face barriers to their learning moving forwards.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder's understanding of how to support children who speak English as an additional language is particularly secure. She takes real account of children's home lives and celebrates their diverse cultures and the languages they hear and use well. She conducts research and uses key words from languages that are familiar to children in her daily routine and play activities. For example, she plays familiar nursery rhymes and songs in children's home language during music and singing time. Children respond with pure delight at hearing their home language in the provision and being able to share this with their peers. The childminder is aware of her responsibility to ensure children access their funding entitlement as well and helps parents with this.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has prioritised expanding her curriculum, ensuring that communication and language remain a clear focus alongside broadening children's opportunities to explore their local community, different cultures and the wider world. This demonstrates her commitment to providing children with a varied and meaningful range of learning experiences. The childminder is reflective and perceptive about her own strengths and areas for development, and she has identified appropriate priorities for improvement. For example, she wishes to further develop her professional knowledge and training in relation to the quality of her teaching, as well as strengthening what she offers for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These plans are in their infancy and, therefore, are yet to have a measurable impact on the quality of provision and outcomes for children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents, and their feedback is overwhelmingly positive. She has secure and trusting relationships with families and provides parents with appropriate guidance, advice and support. Parents comment warmly on her nurturing nature. They state that their children thrive in the environment because of the well-structured routines, the calm and welcoming atmosphere, and the way the childminder values, loves and cares for the children as individuals.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

The childminder has created a very dedicated and homely space for childminding within her home. She has set up the environment with children's interests at the heart of it. Therefore, there is a wide variety of resources and toys that children can access and select throughout the day, alongside plenty of imaginative and exciting experiences that the childminder purposefully plans and provides for them to engage in. Children really have fun and enjoy attending. They rapidly become independent, as the childminder promotes this from a very young age. All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, develop the skills they need to do well in their learning and become suitably equipped to move on.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children quickly establish positive relationships with the childminder. She is very warm and nurturing. Children rely on her for comfort and keenly engage her in their play and exploration. The childminder values each and every child. She is adaptive and responsive to their individual needs because she knows all children very well. As a result, children develop a real sense of belonging when attending.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

The childminder uniquely tailors her provision for children under the age of three only, as she feels that this is where her specific expertise lies. She is fully equipped to manage and meet children's individual care needs and promote their physical well-being. The childminder's home is secure, well maintained and safe. She ensures children are supervised at all times, including during time spent indoors and outdoors, and when out and about on routine trips within the local community. This helps children to thrive and protects them from harm.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:00 - 18:00

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Next steps

The childminder should consider further ways to consistently make a demonstrable difference to the experiences of disadvantaged children when presented with the opportunity to do so. The childminder should further enhance the quality of her teaching to support her to make the most of interactions with all children equally throughout the session to provide even more opportunity for them to excel. The childminder should enhance her own professional development even further to make the most positive impact on the quality of the provision and outcomes for children.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder during the inspection.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage. This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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